Doing Dishes Without Soap
Typically the two main reasons for using soap is to either disinfect or sanitize your dishes as well as, fight against the oils and greases that may be on the dishes. As long as you have access to water you will be able to do a good job of cleaning your dishes as well as cookware. As at this point the only part of the process that you need to worry about is disinfecting or sanitizing your cookware. Which can easily be done but either placing your cookware in or near the campfire just as long as it gets hot enough to the point to where it will wipe out any of the bacteria and germs that may be lurking on the cookware at this time.
However, do keep in mind that some backpacking dishes, typically those that are made out of titanium are said to not be able to withstand dry heat well. By dry heat I mean, heating the pot or pan without anything in it. Some say this will cause the cookware to morphe and/or warp due to the high heat. Just to be safe oh, I would say simply boil a large pot of water inside the cookware you had just finished washing with the nearby river or lake water.
By doing this you will remove the bacteria that was in the water that was then bonded to your cookware. And you will lessen the likelihood of damaging your cookware and dishes. However, I have heard of some who use steel or stainless steel dishes to cook their food and they like to simply place their cookware on top of hot ashes typically taken from their fire pit both to dry off the cookware as well as remove any bacteria that may be on the surface.
But fire or heat is not the only solution in this case. Like we discussed above you could make yourself a small amount of lye soap that could be used to clean the surface of your dish. You could do this with the same hot ashes that you would otherwise use for heat to disinfect the surface of your dishes.
We will later be going into disinfecting and sanitizing tactics in greater detail, for those who prefer to use a nearby natural water source to clean their cookware.Or just simply like spotlessly clean dishes. Like me!
But truly, the only scenarios, when you will likely not have dish soap, is either because you or those you work going backpacking with have forgotten dish soap, or if you simply did not intend on taking dish soap with you. But either way, you need to know how to take care of your dishes if you do not have soap available.
Doing Dishes Without Soap & Water
This is the point where we start to get into washing dishes and or cookware the backcountry way. If you do a lot of backpacking you’ll likely find yourself in a situation where you cannot spare any water for cleaning dishes, as well you do not have access to a water source anywhere nearby.
In this kind of a scenario, it is important that you know tactics and techniques for washing your dishes and cookware without any water, as it is very likely that you could find yourself in this sort of a situation with little, to no water to spare.
Before I begin I want to first say that when it comes to using natural resources to clean your dishes there are literally many methods that can be used. Buy natural resources I mean, using plants, dirt, sand, moss, grass…Etc literally everything except for water.
Because in this scenario you do not have access to water, and you have little to none that can be spared. At this point, you are probably wondering “but what else is there to be used?” And that’s the same thing I wondered when I heard the idea of not using water to wash your dishes, but the fact is that nature provides us many more resources for doing the dishes then we think of on the surface.
Okay let’s begin: so in this scenario, you just finished eating, and now you have to take care of your dishes and cookware. But you don’t have access to any water, and you have little to no water to be spared.What can you do at this point?
Well, first begin by scraping out all of the extra food particles that you can with your spoon or fork. Now that you have the larger parts of the food debris out of your canister, begin by scooping a handful of 1 of, or a mix of the elements listed below:
1) Wash Your Dishes With Dirt
The wonderful thing about dirt is it is very absorbent, hence the reason why I brought up the fact that many people throw dirt over oil, and fuel spills. As it does a great job of absorbing the oils I’m getting a majority of it off the concrete, or asphalt. Well in this situation we are employing the same sort of tactic, but in this case, you will be attacking the stuck on oils and grease inside your pots and pans. Plus the dirt will also be acting as a scrubby as well to fight off the stubborn stuck on food particles.
- Begin by scooping up a handful, or two of dirt and dumping it inside your pot or pan.
- Next, work the dirt around the inside of your cookware somewhat aggressively, as this will begin to know off the stubborn food particles. After doing this for a moment. Discard the dirt from your pot, and repeat…
- Repeat this Process multiple times until no food remains inside the dish.
- At this point, you should have an empty dish with a small amount of dirt coating portions of the dish. From here you could either wipe out the dirt with a small rag or t-shirt… Or if you have a small amount of water to spare. Use it to rinse the dirt (This shouldn’t take much at all!).
I know what you’re thinking,” I thought you said this was a No Water tactic? And you just spoke about using a small amount of water…”. I know, I know but this tactic is ideal if you have access to a small amount of water or if you can spare some. So I figured I’d point it out, but it can just as easily be done without water by simply wiping out the excess dirt with a small rag. As typically, In most cases there will not be much dirt left inside the dish…
2) Wash Your Dishes With Sand
Sand is probably one of the better options, as it allows for a more consistent material to work with. You see the problem I have with dirt, as you typically end up with rocks and other elements alike. And this can cause for interruptions, I guess you could say as you were going about the process of cleaning out your dish.
But in most cases, sand is very consistent and flowing, and it still provides a decent amount of grit to scrubbing off tough, stuck on food that, typically happens around the edges, and bottom of cookware.
Cleaning your dish with sand is the same as it is with dirt. Refer to the “wash your dishes with dirt” section for a step-by-step procedure.
One thing to note though that is different was sand as compared to dirt is that given the fact that sand is smoother and more consistent oh, you don’t necessarily need to use your head in order to scrub the inside of your pot or pan. Rather you could opt with using your spoon/fork, or simply pick up a stick nearby, and use that. But I have found that the best results occur when using my hand to clean my cookware with this method, as it is much easier to feel, and know where you need to scrub.
3) Wash Your Dishes With Leaves Or Grass
I’ve never personally tried this method, as it doesn’t seem like it will work from my point of view. I just simply feel that leaves are not quite abrasive enough to take off crusty, stubborn food. Same goes for grass.
But I think leaves and grass can definitely provide a good option for wiping out any dirt and excess debris at the end of the cleaning process.
That being said, I think it is a good idea that I include this concept here as it applies directly to what we are talking about, and it does look like there are some backpackers that like to use this method.
- Begin with dishes that have already had the largest of the food debris scraped out.
- Find a few Leaves, as well as some grass, and place it inside/on your dish. Don’t use too much in one go, as it will just get in the way. About a handful is typically enough.
- Being scrubbing the dish with the grass, and leaves… After a few moments of scrubbing (Usually, once the leaves start to wear) Get another handful and go at it again.
- Do this until the dish, or cookware is thoroughly cleaned
Again you can use your hand to scrub with the leave and/or grass. As well as a nearby stick, or you spoon/fork… Its all up to you.
But again, I don’t really like this tactic as it doesn’t really fit my style. But definitely, do be sure to give it a try if you desire. As it does work for some. And it probably greatly depends upon the meal you are trying to clean up, as some meals leave behind less of a mess than others.
4) Wash Your Dishes With Small Twigs, Sticks, and Bark
Small twigs mixed with some leaves can be a very great alternative for just simply using leaves and grass its selves. However, it’s not going to be quite as effective as dirt or sand will be. Because both dirt and sand can be morphed to fit the contour of your dishes.
Whereas sticks and other objects alike cannot do so unless you are using very small a fine bit of a stick or multiple sticks. But at this point, it would be more like using wood chips rather than sticks or twigs.
Very small find twigs can be used by using the method above. However, it is much more effective to use the method just below this one which includes using a mix of elements in order to clean your pots and/or pans.
5) Wash Your Dishes With A Mix Of ALL
I have saved the best method for last. This method includes simply using a mix of all the elements around. This can include but is not limited to dirt, sand, gravel, leaves, grass, moss…
Really whatever you have access to. You see, the beauty about using a mix of elements is that the dirt and sand portions of the mix will contour to the shape of the cookware, while the sticks, leaves, and other items will help for knocking off larger chunks of hard-cooked on food.
Simply use the same steps as listed above under “wash your dishes with dirt” for cleaning your cookware using this method. Check out the video below to see a demonstration as to how this process is done:
Brown Bear Wilderness
But there are a few things to note. Obviously, you want to carefully select the dirt, sand, leaves, grass… As well as any other natural elements that you choose to use for cleaning your dishes, as there could be animal feces, or other things alike in the dirt, sand, on the leaves, and/or in the grass…
Simply use your best judgment, and select a source that is not likely to be contaminated. You can do this by simply digging down, or reaching up high to grab leaves and such…
Disinfecting Your Dishes & When It is Required
Obviously, the number one way for disinfecting or sanitizing your dishes is by using soap. However, that is too simple to include here. As well as, often times you like we may not have access to soap or even water for that matter. It is at these times when sanitizing a dish can become kind of a struggle.
Below I have created a list of different ways that you can sanitize your dishes once you clean them. But first, we need to cover the question as to when you should specifically sanitize your dish, and when you shouldn’t have to worry so much about it.
When To Sanitize & When Not To?
You should sanitizer disinfect your cookware if you have done one of the following to clean your dishes:
- Cleaned With Non Purified Lake Or River Water
- Cleaned With Dirt, Sand, Grass, Leaves…ect
- Cleaned With Any Sort Of Element That Is Known To House Bacteria / Germs
Methods For Sanitizing Your Cookware
- Use Dish Soap
Obviously, dish soap will do a good job when it comes to sanitizing dishes. and it is the method is preferred by most. Plus, a small amount can go a long way. The only downside to using dish soap as the fact that it requires water in order to effectively use. So if you don’t have access to water, or you’re not willing to spare some, soap really basically becomes worthless.
- Use Wet Wipes
Wet wipes can be quite useful for cleansing and disinfecting your cookware. However, they do come with a major downside, as you will also be required to rinse your dish with water afterward. Or at least a rag dampened with water.
You see the problem occurs as you are wiping your dishes with a wet wipe, as the soap and moisture from the wipe begins to smear across the surface of your dish. Leaving a film of soapy moisture, which will then have to be wiped off or rinsed off before using.
- Use Utensil Wipes
Now the problem that we had above with the wet wipes is the fact that it leaves behind a residue that you will then have to be rinsed off with water. But what if you don’t have access to water? This is where we ran into a dilemma with the wet wipes.
However, I think I have found a solution! Uc utensil wipes are just like wet wipes, however, the only difference is that they are actually made to be used on dishes and other cookware.
These Utensil Wipes or actually designed to be used on dishes. And they do not require the assistance of water in order to rinse any left behind residue, making them great for those who may or may not have access to water when it comes time to disinfect their cookware.
Making utensil wipes a great alternative to using just average wet wipes!
- Use Heat (CampFire)
Probably the most natural way that you can go about disinfecting and sanitizing your dishes is by simply placing them in, or near your campfire. However, there is a method for going about doing this, as you can easily damage your cookware if you simply just throw it inside the fire.
The best way to go about doing this is by taking the hot coals from the base of the fire and creating a platform to which you can lay your cookware/dishes on in order to disinfect them.
The reasoning as to why you do not want to simply just throw your pots or pans in the fire is because the heat could be too great and it could cause warpage and other damage to the pots or pans
But do take note, and be very careful. Because dependent upon the material your pots and pans are made of this could cause damage to them as some materials are unable to withstand the dry heat of hot coals/flame.
I’m sure you’re probably wondering “but how am I able to cook stuff food in it??”. Well, when you have food, or liquids inside the pot it is better able to withstand the heat versus if it is standing alone. But this depends greatly upon the material your pots and pans are made from. As steel is able to withstand the heat of direct flame by itself. However, some other materials are unable to do so.
It all depends greatly upon the material to which your cookware is made of, as well as the thickness. The best way to figure out whether or not you can do this with your cookware is to simply check the user manual or instruction guide that came with your cookware. Some will say that they cannot withstand dry heat. However, the most pots and pans can handle the heat just fine it is best to know whether or not yours can or not. Before using this method.
- Boiling Water Inside Cookware/Dishes
Like we discussed above some pots and pans are unable to withstand the shear heat of exposing them to direct flame, that is when they have no liquids or food inside them, where they otherwise just fine to do so.
This method is best for you if your cookware is unable to withstand direct heat, and would rather do better with liquids inside.
Do this by simply taking some clean water, pouring it inside your pot or pan (whichever you are cleaning at the moment). And simply begin to boil the water using your camp stove, or the campfire. Let the pot boil for about 10 to 15 minutes and simply pull the pot from the heat and let it begin to cool down.
Doing this will kill all the bacteria and germs that may be lurking in the water, as well as provide you with some warm water for cleaning the rest of your dishes.
Drying Your Dishes (What Backpackers Do)
Drying your dishes, though it can be very simple and kind of straightforward. However, it is probably best that I was out some of the methods that you can use in order to do so. As well as point out some of the precautions to be aware of when doing so.
What/Where To Dry Dishes?
- A simple rag or cloth will do just fine for drying off your dishes. However, it is probably best to stick with a rag that is smaller in size as a larger one will take up a lot more space.
- Obviously, you could simply use the campfire to do this. As the heat from the campfire will quickly and effortlessly try the inside and outside of your pots and pans thoroughly.
- Some prefer to use a clean shirt that they have plans on wearing later on in the future. This is a great option for those who prefer to only carry what they absolutely need.
You could obviously just simply leave them out to air-dry. However, this does tend to take quite a bit more time which makes it not ideal for those who are in a hurry. But it works just fine. One thing to keep in mind though is to not leave it took where it will end up dirty again. Ideally, place it somewhere up high where critters and other animals will not be able to reach it, as well as where it will be free from getting hit with any dust, dirt or debris.
Dish Drying Don’ts
- Don’t simply leave your wet pots, pans, and dishes laying around. As you could end up with dirt, dust, and other debris blowing on to them
- Obviously, don’t try them with a dirty rag. As this can very likely recontaminate your dishes to the point that they need to be re-decontaminated.
- Do not put your cookware away before they have thoroughly dried. As trapped moisture will begin to cause mold and bacteria to grow.
Conclusion
When I was first new to backpacking I always wondered how dishes were to be done in the backcountry. But after a lot of time spent out there, I have come to realize that there are actually many methods that can be used and implemented in terms of washing dishes.
My personal favorite method for cleaning dishes is to simply use dirt and other debris found on the ground, or around. Really all of the methods listed above will work well. It just depends on your personal preference, as well as your willingness to carry spare gear and or water they can be used.
If you have any ideas that should be added to this list be sure to leave them below, as I am always happy to hear the ideas of others.
I hope you have gained some knowledge from this write-up, and I hope it provided you with some value.
Be sure to have a great trip!
This is colt signing off!